UFC Hall of Famer B.J. Penn got into a fight with a bouncer at a strip club in Honolulu late Monday night … with the altercation spilling onto the street … and TMZ Sports has the video.
According to a protective order obtained by MMA Junkie, Shealen Uaiwa claims Penn is a drug addict that physically and sexually abused her and threatened to kill her multiple times over the years.
”BJ has been a drug addict since he was 14,” the statement says. “He has patterns of up and down drug use and uses his training camps to try and stay sober.”
”There have been so many incidents through our relationship,” she concluded. “These are just more recent incidents.”
I’m loving the latest wave of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champions that are making the transition to MMA. As a grappler, I’ve always followed the careers of BJJ standouts the likes of Demian Maia and the Noguieras. However, up until a short while ago, there was no “fresh blood” when it comes to grappling wizards in MMA. Ryan Hall provided some entertainment during the Ultimate Fighter but has only had a few UFC fights since. Luckily, the drought ended with a whole host of BJJ standouts, from Kroin Gracie to Rafael Lvoato Jr. switching the Gi for 4 oz gloves. Under the ONE banner, another BJJ superstar is about to get a shot at a world title. Will Angela Lee be able to put a dent to the Michelle Nicolini MMA rise?
To be honest, I’ve seen every Michelle Nicolini MMA fight so far. There’s something special about the intensity of women’s MMA in general. When one of the fighters is also a multiple time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion the fights tend to be that more entertaining. Just take a look at Mackenzie Dern’s MMA exploits so far. Form that crazy Chokoplata in one of her first fights to her undefeated run int he UFC, there hasn’t been a boring fight. the same is true for Michelle Nicolin, once a rival of Dern on the BJJ mats. Now, Nicolini has a shot at Angela Lee, the former ONE FC 115 lbs champion. A win there and we might just see the old rivalry with Dern change scenery, from the BJJ mats to the octagon.
BJJ World Champion Michelle Nicolini
Michelle Nicolini is a name that’s very well known in grappling circles. The Brazilian holds 8 Jiu-Jitsu world titles in the Gi and two in No-Gi. She is also a black beltABud Dhabi, Pans, and double European champion. Nicolini is a black belt under ADCC champion Robert Drysdale. Currently, she is still a part of the Checkmate team, although her focus is not on BJJ tournaments.
Michelle Nicolini is a 37-year-old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt originally from Sao Paolo. Interestingly, she started martial arts training through Capoeira, which is not uncommon among grapplers. Dabbling in Capoeira led to Jiu-Jitsu, which turned out to be Michelle’s life calling. She has been training with Drysdale her whole career, getting every belt from the grappling legend. She joined Rodrigo Cavaca’s gym in 2010 but only stayed there until 2013 when she left due to “differences in opinion” with Cavaca himself.
From that period onwards, Nicolini’s focus has been MMA. FIghting at 115lbs, there hasn’t been a boring Michelle Nicolini MMA Fight so far, including her two losses. We’d expect nothing less from a grappler that went up four weight classes at the IBJJF Worlds in 2010 as a result of a friendly challenge. She ended up winning the world title in that weight division that year.
Michelle Nicolini MMA Carrer
So far, Michelle has had a short, but eventful MMA career. After witching her focus from BJJ, the Brazilian had 7 professional fights. Her record so far is 5-2, with the two losses coming by decision. In contrast, all of her 5 victories in three different organizations came via submission stoppages.
So far, Michelle fought her first fight under the Inca FC banner. She beat her opponent Cristina Mejia via armbar halfway through the first round. Her second fight was in M4TC where another first-round armbar finish got her past Lanchana Green. Legacy Fighting Championship came next, and with it, Nicolini’s first MMA loss. At LFC 36 in 2014, she lost a unanimous decision to Norma Rueda Center. That was also the end of her exploits in the LFC as ONE FC came knocking. Nicolini made the switch and has been fighting there ever since.
So far, Michelle has racked up three wins in ONE FC, all coming via first-round stoppages. Two of those were rear naked choke victories, coming on both ends of yet another first-round armbar finish. Her second decision loss came in her last outing against Tiffany Teo, in November of 2018.
Angela Lee Vs. Michelle Nicolini MMA Fight Preview
Angel Lee is arguably the biggest test of Michelle Nicolini’s MMA career so far. NIcknamed “Unstoppable” Anglea was the 115 ONE FC champion for the better part of three years. She eventually lost the title in March 2019 at the hands of current ONE FC flyweight champion Jingnan Xiong. That said, both Lee and Nicolini are coming off rare losses and looking to make a point. For Lee, this fight would probably mean an immediate rematch with Xiong. For Nicolini, it will certainly be an opportunity to get a shot at her first ever MMA title.
In terms of what we can expect from this upcoming Angela Lee vs. Michelle Nicolini MMA fights the best description is complete and utter fireworks. While not exactly at Michelle Nicolini’s level, Angela Lee is also a BJJ black belt. So far, she has some extremely impressive grappling performances inside the One FC cage. She is also a striker by trait, with a background in Taekwondo, meaning the fight is going to be exciting both standing and on the ground. When the fight hits the ground be sure to keep an eye out for the submission race. It is going to be Nicolini’s seasoned triangle and armbar attacks vs Angela’s innovative front headlock choke and neck crank submission game. On the feet, the edge probably goes to Angela while Nicolini is the clear favorite in the grappling department. As I said, fireworks.
The fight is scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur on the 12th of July. The event is “ONE Championship 98: Masters of Destiny” and the fight is going to be at strawweight.
“ONE Championship 98: Masters of Destiny” Full Card
Giorgio Petrosyanvs Petchmorakot Petchyindee – kickboxing
Angela Lee vs Michelle Nicolini – MMA
Ev Ting vs Daichi Abe – MMA
Abro Fernandes vs Gurdarshan Mangat – MMA
Jihin Radzuan vs Jomary Torres – MMA
Dae Sung Park vs Kimihiro Eto – MMA
Troy Worthen vs Chen Rui – MMA
Hiroki Akimoto vs Kenny Tse – kickboxing
Kai Ting Chuang vs Janet Todd– kickboxing
Aleksi Toivonen vs Akihiro Fujisawa – MMA
Saiful Merican vs Mohammed Bin Mahmoud – Muay Thai
Adrian Mattheis vs Liu Peng Shuai – MMA
George Mann vs Sorgraw Petchyindee Academy– Muay Thai
Final Thoughts
One thing is for certain, we’re in for a real cracker of a fight! Whether Angela gets a chance to go for the title again, or Nicolini proves she is ready for an even bigger stage remains to be seen. Whatever the case, the July 12 Angela Lee vs Michelle Nicolini MMA bout is one for the history books, so make sure you’re watching! We expect some slick high-level grappling in this one!
Bernardo Faria is at it again. The man simply doesn’t stop producing DVD instructionals and we love him for it! As far as the quality of content over a long p[eriod of time goes, nobody beats Bernardo Faria’s DVD instructions. The 5 times world champion is extremely versatile and covers just about everything in his DVD’s. gi or No-Gi, Bernardo always has something to teach. I’m super stoked to be doing this latest Bernardo Faria DVD Review on a really special DVD: “Side Control Setups And Submissions”!
You don’t have to like the stuff that Bernardo Faria is showing in order to watch his DVDs. You’ll hardly find a more positive, dedicated and overall friendly guy in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu nowadays. moreover, he is as technical as they get. Plus he has that special open mindset that has him learning daily from the top minds of grappling. Every Bernardo Faria DVD Review so far has been a joy to do. As expected, this last title was also very fun to do. Actually, it has to be my favorite so far, as I really love the subject he is demonstrating in it.
Solving Side Control Submissions
There’s one aspect of side control that annoys most grapplers find extremely challenging – submitting. The first time you get into side control you discover that the position is a very fleeting one. In fact, it is such an active position that you do not even get points for the position itself. the three points we usually get when we arrive there are fro the guard pass, not the side control position itself. That said, once in a side control we have one main task, and two possible goals, none of which is easy to perform.
The first task, keeping the opponent in side control is actually the easiest. You simply borrow pinning principles from wrestling and you’re all set. However, that’s not the point of BJJ. Instead of getting a win by pinning an opponent in one position, you’ll most likely get a penalty in BJJ. So, you need to know how to pin someone, but you need to look for either a better position or a way to finish the fight, at least in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. To that extent, submissions are the much more difficult, yet ultimately rewarding prospect. Positions like the mount, knee on belly or even back control come by much more easily.
Bernardo Faria’s “Side Control Setups And SUbmissions” is the ultimate resource to help you solve this puzzle. It usually takes people at least a purple belt to start figuring out how to submit someone from side control without losing position. Well, as you’ll see from our Bernardo Faria DVD review, this instructional is going to shorten that time. Now, even as a white belt, you can develop a devastating submission game from side control land surprise just about anyone!
“Side Control Setups And Submissions” Bernardo Faria DVD Review
As far as this particular DVD goes, there’s no particular secret to it. Everyone apart from Faria himself needs to own this instructional. It is that important, and that well organized. Moreover, it is actually a set, containing four volumes filled with tips and tricks from a multiple-time world champion. the instructional itself is with the Gi, which means you get options for both Gi and No-Gi. The crucial arm locks and chokes are only accentuated by introducing some slick lapel based submissions!
The DVD begins with the basics of the side control position – pressure, stability and basic movement. In that sense, al the usual transitions to positions like the mount and back are covered here. Volume two starts with exploring risky attacks, which is an integral concept of Faria’s system. A bunch of armlock and chokes follow. The third volume takes things to the knee on belly position, once again offering further submission options. The fourth and final volume is full fo high-level, advanced transitional attacks. In that sense, it is closer to volume one than the other two. Check out the full chapter by chapter Bernardo Faria DVD review below.
Volume 1
Of course, just like previous volumes, Faria kicks off with a short introduction into what is to come. In terms of side control, the first thing is securing the position. Certain tips and tricks here are going to completely change how you approach the position. The most important aspect of this DVD, and side control in BJJ, in general, is pressure. Faria manages to really put this highly elusive concept into perspective. After doing this Bernardo Faria DVD review, many hidden little things became crystal clear for me.
As far as the transitional game goes, this volume covers the utter basics. make no mistake, though, these are moves that work perfectly at every belt level. There are two mount entries here, one with a step over, and the second with a leg side. Both work perfectly under different conditions, providing variable attacks. The really useful part is getting to mount even when an opponent gets you back in half guard. This is a great way to keep getting points for the pass and mount until you rack up a huge advantage.
Volume 2
Time to get into the submission portion of the DVD. After all, it is named “Side Control Submissions”. It starts with a crucial introduction that you simply can’t miss! it is all about which attacks are too risky to go for, and how to minimize the risk when attacking from side control. Here, Faria shares something no other black belt world champion has shared before.
The submission portion begins in a fairly basic fashion. There are several armbar options on both the near and far side arms. Some work directly, while others include transitions into North-South. The Marcelo style armbar is pure genius and explained to the tiniest detail. A Kimura and a very sneaky wrist lock option complete the arm locking portion of this volume. A north-south transitional choke completes the submission portion. The final chapter serves as an introduction to the next volume, opening the knee on belly account.
Volume 3
While doing this Bernardo Faria DVD review, this volume caught my attention the most. When I gave the moves a shot during rolling, later on, it just confirmed my hunch that it’ll be my favorite. Why? Well, first of all, the attacks start from knee on belly, which offers unbelievable crushing pressure. And, when Bernardo explains it you’ll never wonder about base, balance or pressure distribution from the position again. Armbars, of course, make up a large portion of this volume. From straight and quick to spinning one,s, nothing is left out.
When it comes to chokes, the North-South choke is covered once again. Even more importantly, there are key details and a new take on the baseball choke as well. A wicked side control Omoplata changes the direction of attacks. Right after that, a crazy Monoplata completes the experience, as well as covering just about every option you have from side control. Or so I thought.
Volume 4
The final volume of this Bernardo Faria DVD is a real masterpiece. It serves both as a Q&A for the previous content as well as a volume with information for advanced grapplers. here, the focus is on transitional attacks. IT starts with sprawling which eventually leads to back control. Speaking of back attack, Faria offers the ultimate hack when an opponent turns away.
In terms of counters and re-counters .a very useful chapter is the one on passing the guard. But not just the guard, but passing after an opponent re-guards. instead of going all the way back, Faria offers a shortcut to get straight back to side control. Some key concepts like basing and staying safe during transitions also find themselves in this portion of the DVD.
In Summary
As I already said, it is always a pleasure to do a Bernardo Faria DVD review. Faria has so much energy and dedicates so much to instructionals that he is a real pleasure to watch. This DVD instructional is truly something else, even by Bernardo Faria standards. Whether you’re looking to secure side control, learn more effective transitions or find out how to perform side control submissions, this is the DVD for you.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu sure seems to be at a pinnacle of its existence. Currently, more and more professional grappling events allow for grapplers to make more than enough for a living by just training and fighting. Moreover, the DVD instructional scene is also booming, providing an additional income source. Plus, the evolution of the art is seeing it become arguably the best tool you can use in modern MMA fighting. There are plenty of examples of this, but none is more eye-catching than that of Rafel Lovato Jr. The legendary BJJ black belt is an undefeated, undisputed world champion as of this past weekend.
It is not like we weren’t expecting it. Let’s be honest every grappler out there was cheering for Lovato in his first ever pro MMA title match. And it was not an easy match, given that his opponent was Gegard Mousasi and the organization was Bellator. Rafael Lovato Jr. made it to the middleweight title, crowning what seems to be the resurgence of BJJ in mixed martial arts. Looking at all the other high-level grapplers that are dominating cages and the octagon worldwide, the future sure seems bright for Jiu-Jitsu!
Rafael Lovato Jr. – The Face Of American Grappling
Rafael Lovato Jr., for those that might not know, is one of the most legendary American grapplers of all times. In the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he is a real household name. Rafel Lovato Jr. is also part of BJJ history, not once but twice. First, he conquered the Brazilian National Championship in 2007 as the first American to do so. In 2013, he got his name in the history books again, at the very same tournament, this time as the first American to win the absolute.
Lovato Jr. is no stranger to world titles. He is a BJJ World Champion in both the Gi and No-Gi as well as a Master’s World Champion. In fact, he has pretty much every title that matters in BJJ, including the Pans and Europeans on multiple occasions. The heavyweight’s BJJ journey started at 13, after five years of boxing training. His father, Rafel Lovato Sr. is also an avid martial arts practitioner, and also a BJJ black belt. Rafel Lovato Jr. started training with Carlos Machado, and eventually got his black belt from him in 2004. After that, Lovato went on to train with the Ribeiro brothers, reaching new heights in his Jiu-Jitsu game.
In terms of MMA, Lovato started really slowly and methodically. His first four fights took place under the Legacy Fighting Championship. After three submission victories and one TKO, he moved on to Bellator in 2017. Since then, he had 6 fights, making his way through the middleweight division. Once again, his heavy pressure Jiu-Jitsu game was the foundation for all his strong outings. Along the way, he defeated fighters like Gerald Harris and John Salter before getting the shot at Moussasi’s belt.
The NEW Bellator Middleweight Champion
Rafael Lovato Jr.’s fight against Gegard Mousasi was by far the hardest test of his young MMA career so far. Lovato managed to get to a 10-0 record, but he had to put it all out on the line to do so! As we know, it takes a lot to dethrone a champion via a referees’ decision, but Lovato certainly managed to do so this past weekend in London.
The fight started with Rafel Lovato Jr. very comfortable in his striking, despite his incredible Jiu-Jitsu pedigree. Lovato mixed things up beautifully, connecting some crisp striking with beautiful takedown attempts. However, Mousasi’s experience was enough to stuff all double leg attempts Lovato launched. Lovato didn’t take this lightly and continued to pursue takedowns and subsequently submission attempts throughout the entire fight.
It wasn’t all fun and games though, as Mousasi found his game in the fourth round. he produced some top-grade striking to put Lovato on the defense. Everything seemed set for an amazing action packed fifth round. Well, there was action but not the way many expected. Lovato took momentum away from the experienced Dutchman, hitting an early takedown. From there on, he went for submission after submission, never allowing Mousasi to even think about getting back to the feet.
The judges thought that Rafel Lovato Jr. did enough and awarded him the match, and the Bellator middleweight title with a 47-47, 48-47, and 48-47 majority decision.
The Second Coming Of BJJ In MMA?
When the UFC first started BJJ was the ultimate skill to have in early MMA. From Royce Gracie’s octagon exploits to Rickson’s rule in Pride, BJJ was what everyone was after for a long time. The momentum carried over back to the UFC, with the likes of Anderson Silva, the Nogueira brother and Demian Maia carrying the Jiu-Jitsu torch. However, as the skillset widened and MMA grew to a worldwide phenomenon, the edge BJ Jpractitioners had subsided. During the last decade or so, Demian Maia was the only one to keep BJJ alive in MMA. Well, the tide seems to be turning Jiu-Jitsu’s favor once again.
Currently, there is a number of high-level BJJ world champions making their way through the ranks of MMA. Rafael Lovato Jr. is the first one of those to get a world title, but we can’t imagine the rest are far behind. Similar to Lovato, Kron Gracie and Mackenzie Dern started fighting in Rizin and LFA respectfully. Both are currently at the UFC, Kron with one and Dern with a couple of victories. Both are also still undefeated in MMA. The last huge BJ name to sign with the UFC is Rodolfo Vieira, who is still to fight in the octagon, after a 5-0 record in different promotions.
The new generation of BJJ standouts in the form of Gary Tonon, Michelle Nicolini and Dillon Danis is also doing well. Tonon is currently 5-0 under the ONE banner, with all of his matches ending in stoppage (TKO or submission). Nicolini is also in ONE with a 5-2 record so far, while Danis has a 2-0 record in Bellator. Are we witnessing the second coming of BJJ in MMA? If Lovato is anything to judge by, it certainly seems to be the case!
Conclusion
Rafale Lovato Jr. has one of the most efficient styles of Jiu-Jitsu out there. He is methodical, always looks for pressure and is never far from a submission finish. His take on MMA is pretty much the same, as he prepares for just about any probability. In a sense, he reminds a lot of GSP and his cerebral approach to fighting., One thing is for sure we can’t wait to see more of the undefeated, undisputed Bellator middleweight champion!
There are plenty of ways to make people miserable in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. As much as we paint it to be the most honorable and ego-free are, at the end of the day, we like to torture whoever we’re rolling/fighting with. Apart from all the submissions and crazy moves that put people in awkward spots, there’s one aspect of Jiu-Jitsu that is crucial to a well-rounded game – pressure. Whether you like to put people under pressure while you’re passing, or you like to be heavy form the mount or side control, it takes a lot of time to learn how to distribute your weight. An easy way to figure it out is by studying wrestling pins. After all, their sole purpose is to keep people from moving while on the ground. How can they not be useful for BJJ?
Wrestling has a huge role in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training. However, it takes people a long time to figure out that takedowns are not the only thing wrestling has to offer. Usually, people realize that wrestling has many more aspects than just takedowns somewhere around the purple belt. However, if you turn to wrestle to help you with groundwork earlier, by the time you’re a purple belt you’ll be unstoppable! Wrestling pins are an aspect of grappling that people have been developing for ages. The knowledge wrestling brings in this area is priceless and it has a lot to teach modern BJJ practitioners.
The Art Of Pressure
If you’ve ever been caught in a really good pin, you know how helpless it makes you feel. There’s nothing worse than having to bear someone’s entire weight on you. When that person knows how to direct that weight and turn it into specific pressure, you end up completely immobile. Or, in other words, you get pinned. In wrestling, pinning is the ultimate way to win. If you can keep your opponent on the ground for a certain amount of time, the match is over. No wonder wrestlers spend so much time working on various wrestling pins.
There are two main benefits that wrestling pins bring to BJJ and combat sports in general. First, they help you keep an opponent in place, which is crucial. Next, they teach you how to make that opponent utterly miserable. The first part doesn’t take much time, while the second requires some careful fine-tuning. This the reason why pressure placement in grappling is truly an art. Many people think that wrestling pins are actually static. Well, the finishing point of a wrestling pin certainly is as it needs to keep someone from moving. But getting to that final position requires directional pressure that shuts down any and all escape avenues. And this is pretty much what Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is all about.
Knowing how to project your pressure means you can exploit plenty of benefits. First of all, you can rest. And we all know how much rest is needed in certain situations in grappling. Next up, you can actually control a much bigger opponent with a lot less effort. Furthermore, the pressure is a great way of opening up attacks. Finally, it also provides the perfect defensive position – the bottom person can’t attack if they can’t move or catch their breath.
Wrestling Pins For BJJ
Let’s revisit wrestling subs in a BJJ context. The one thing everyone’s after in BJJ are submissions. However, there’s the old “position before submission” mantra when it comes to submission success. Well, today that mantra is more like “control before submission”. And where do you find better control than with wrestling pins? Granted, wrestling tends to focus on keeping someone in place which often means no movement. This might be a hindrance to submission attempts if you do not use pressure. However, if you use pressure pins you’ll find that your submission rate is going to skyrocket. Moreover, wrestling pins sometimes turn into great BJJ submission of their own.
Probably the best use of wrestling pins in Jiu-Jitsu is a transitional one. Imagine working very hard to pass a really good guard player’s open guard. Great guard players are usually slick at recovering guard as well. That means the moment you ass the guard, they’ll find a way to re-guard. When you have pins in your arsenal, you’ll find that you’re heading for very different directions after you pass. You’ll also notice that fewer people are able to immediately re-guard as well.
Finally, there’s transitioning between pressure positions, like side control and the mount. If you can pin your opponent successfully every top position becomes available. Imagine you’re in a top half guard. Instead of wasting energy on passing, you go for a wrestling cradle pin. Immediately, your opponent is in a world of pain and you can do whatever you want – pass, move to mount/back or submit.
There’s one more great aspect to wrestling pins many people seem to miss. That is how you can use them in MMA. When striking is a factor you actually need pins much more compared to just grappling. There’s so much variety in the pins wrestling provides that you can pick and choose your favorite ones. The options you get can either get you in your favorite position/ submission or in a prime place for ground and pound! Imagine being able to do as much damage as from the mount, without the risk of being hip bumped!
Moreover, there’s next to no danger from the bottom in both a striking and grappling aspect. Of course, pinning like in wrestling is of no use when there are no points or time limits, but slight modifications will open up lots of attacking opportunities. Elbow strikes are a particularly vicious weapo0n that works best from the close proximity pins offer. COuple that with some bone crushing pressure and you might just get a tap before you get a KO!
Closing Thoughts
Whatever your thoughts might be on wrestling, you’d be foolish not to use what it has to offer. Whether you use the takedowns or not, is up to you and your gameplan. However, anyone regardless of gameplan or preferences needs to learn wrestling pins. At one point or another, you’ll end up on top, and that is when you should finish a grappling match or an MMA fight. PInning someone to the ground makes that victory so much easier, and not to mention, sweeter.
There’s a great explanation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that uses an old playground trick to really capture the essence of the art. As kids, we used to say to someone “look here” and wiggle on foot down on the ground. While they’re looking at the wiggling foot, you’d slap the min the face, laughing. Well BJJ is pretty much like that playground taunt. You want to make your opponent look at one thing and hit him with another. The thing to remember though is that even this deception ahs levels in BJJ. A white belt’s attempt at it might be laughable, while black belts seem to be able to perform Jedi mind tricks. That said, it is all down to BJJ tricks of the trade, and we look at a crucial one today – timing.
Whenever you roll with a high-level grappler you often feel like they’re one step ahead. Not only are they ahead, but they seem to know what you’re about to do before you even decide. The reason behind this is a BJJ trick of the trade, one that is not at all hard to master. The thing is you need to be aware of it. If you want to integrate timing in your game early, you either need to figure it out on your own or have someone tell you about it. I had to go the hard way, figuring it out. This article is the easy way, outlining it all out for you.
The first time you get to roll with a black belt, you’ll most likely have as close to an alien experience as possible. It is downright eerie at times when you have no idea what you’re doing, or about to do, but the black belt knows every move you do in advance. And, every time you ask how that is possible you get the least desirable answer – just train and as time passes, you’ll figure it out.
The fact of the matter is that you will actually figure it out. It has lots to do with technique and even more with experience. However, it also has to do with BJJ tricks that you pick up along the way. In that sense, I’ll focus most of my attention today to timing, and how it can change the way you roll. Timing has a lot to do with the perceived “mind reading abilities” of experienced grapplers. However, before I go into timing, I’ll cover another of the Jedi Mind BJJ tricks.
Every time a higher belt manages to trap you by anticipating your movement, it has a lot to do with connection. If you think that they’re just sitting there and willing you into traps, you’re wrong. What they’re doing is applying very specific pressure, or preventing you from going into very specific directions. This is done by connecting to your body in a very intentional matter. Take side control for example. Someone going into Kesa Gatame means there’s absolutely no way for to roll away. The way they’re connected to your body allows them to anticipate you turning into them. So when you get caught in a D’arce choke from a Kesa Gatamr situation, it is all about connection and timing, rather than mind reading.
Figuring Out High-Level BJJ Tricks
Let me get into the subject of timing in Jiu-Jitsu with a story. Not long ago, I had the opportunity to roll with a black belt I’ve never rolled with before. I entered the roll not looking to apply my game or look to catch him, but rather, look at his movement. To be honest, this was mostly down to a fresh knee injury of mine.
Whenever I tried to get into a position I like, I found al my avenues of attack blocked. At first, it seemed like the guy was moving at the speed of light, yet, he was extremely light at all times. This got me thinking, so I slowed the roll as much as I could, without giving away positions. As it turned out, the black belt didn’t look to shut my game down directly or go fo his favorite stuff. Instead, he just made sure he moved wherever I took him but did so just slightly sooner and faster than me. That made him seem exceedingly fast. The fact of the matter was that he simply had better timing.
This experience got me looking into timing in BJJ. As it turns out, when it comes to BJJ tricks, timing is one of the most useful ones. It is not about technique, pressure, even positioning, for that matter. If you can figure out how to get your timing on point, you’ll be able to get the upper hand on pretty much anyone. That said, it doesn’t mean that you can’t start thinking about timing as a blue belt. It’ll just be much more efficient if you do it when you have a lot more experience and technical knowledge. Let’s look at some examples.
Timing Is Everything
In order to really dissect timing, we’ll use three examples. The first one is the easiest to put timing into a grappling context. Namely, whenever you’re trying to pass the guard, you open up sweeping opportunities for your opponent. At a certain point in time, the opponent is going to have a clean sweep that you can’t counter or defend. Accepting the sweep and sitting down faster than your opponent is sweeping you, is a prime example of timing in BJJ. This will give you slightly more time to re-adjust and react. In most cases, it’ll be enough to get you back up before the sweep is complete.
The same holds true for passing. While with sweeps, timing means being faster, with passing, it means being slower. Imagine going for a Torreando pass The more you try to move the legs with your arms, the less success you’ll have. The more you allow your opponent’s legs to lead you, and go slightly slower than them, the easier you’ll enter into the pass. Moreover, your opponent will have absolutely no chance of preventing it this way.
A final example timing as part of the BJJ tricks of the trade is going to be submissions. Here. It is a completely different ball game once again. Instead of moving slightly faster or slower than your opponent. with submission, you actually need to be in sync. Take a straight Ashi Garami leg lock for example. As the opponent moves to twist out, you’ll need to move in sync in order to prevent the twist. At the same time, you’re taking away any slack, making the submission sink in more and more.
Conclusion
If you figure out timing, you’ll be able to quickly advance through BJJ. Moreover, the more BJJ tricks you start figuring out, the easier rolling with more experienced opponents is going to get. That said, if you can figure out the timing in different BJJ scenarios, then you’ll take a huge leap forward. As a beginner, try to look for timing in every move you learn. As an advanced student, focus on your timing in different scenarios and figure when to rush and when to slow things down.
Stuck in a mount much? The sad truth is that it doesn’t get better. You might end up usefully avoiding the mount of fellow grapplers, but as soon as you go up against a black belt you have no say in the matter. Moreover, even if you’re a black belt, you can end up stuck underneath a grappler’s mount. And it is not a fun position to be in when you’re on the receiving end. To that extent, escaping mount is an area that lots and lots of grapplers research thoroughly daily. Well, let me save you some time. There are lots you can do, but little that works. Apart from one extremely simple BJJ mount escape called “the Alcatraz”.
10th PLanet Jiu-Jitsu is an academy known for an unorthodox approach to Jiu-Jitsu, to put it mildly. There’s no denying that founder Eddie Bravo is a legit black belt, nor that some the academy’s most-known stars can hold their weight against pretty much anyone. Much of their success is down to the unique style of BJJ they develop over there. While most of the time 10th Planet grapplers like to use flexibility, or even breakdancing moves to surprise an opponent, sometimes they opt for the polar opposite – extremely simple techniques. And, when it comes to escaping a simple position, nothing but a simple BJJ mount escape will do the trick. Or, a couple of simple escapes sharing the same name – Alcatraz.
The Struggles Of The Mount Position
If you do not hate the mount, then you are either not a grappler, or not training at an Academy worth visiting. Getting to the mount position is as old as grappling itself, or warfare for that matter. Every time a fight gets to the ground, we instinctively look to get on top of the other person, preferably in a position of power. Well, the mount is the ultimate power position, at least when it comes to being on top in a grappling exchange.
There’s a good reason why the mount is one of the positions in Jiu-Jitsu that offers you the most points – 4. You have pretty much complete control from the mount. First, you can keep an opponent there without having to spend too much energy. Next, you can look to hold or apply crushing pressure in order to break through their resistance. There’s also the case of submissions, with just about anything you can think of readily available form the mount. Finally, when strikes are a factor (MMA / self-defense) there’s no better position to be in than the mount.
But there’s also one more crucial aspect of the mount position – it is notoriously hard to escape. A BJJ mount escape that works effectively is pretty much like the Holy Grail of BJJ. the position is so dominant that getting out requires a lot of energy. Moreover, very often escape attempts to open up even more attacks for the person on top. Couple these struggles with the fact that you’re bearing someone’s full weight, plus directed pressure, the absence of space to even breathe and the constant threat of submissions or strikes, and you can see why many people will love the BJJ mount escape we have in store for you today!
A Simple BJJ Mount Escape System
The biggest trick in escaping the mount is in keeping it simple. You don’t need fancy ways of getting out. All you need it a simple way that’s based on a few key principles. To begin with, you must remember not to give away anything to your opponents. That means that you have to be a master of positioning during this BJJ mount escape. The one thing to remember is that your arms and neck are the most vulnerable. So, keeping your arms right over your neck means you get both with just one move. Next, you need to remember the most important thing – remain calm.
Eddie Bravo is a master at staying calm and giving away nothing form bad spots. Well, he is also one of the craftiest Jiu-Jitsu escape artists in existence. His take on getting out of mount is based on the two principles above, plus the use of movements that we already do from the spot. To that extent, he has a system that employs two variations of his favorite BJJ mount escape. He calls the Alcatraz and Reverse Alcatraz, and they both work like a charm.
The Alcatraz BJJ mount escape is simpler to execute, but dos require you to have a solid half guard game. Remember that many competitors nowadays let you get them into half guard when they’re in the mount, just so they can get the pass and mount points over and over again. Eddie Bravo has his lockdown which ties in perfectly with the Alcatraz, but any solid half guard game will do.
For the Alcatraz escape, what you want to do is use your arms to frame on the opponent’ hips. This is the right moment to mention that these escapes work best from a low and middle mount. Once you have the hip frame, you need to choose one side to turn to, attempting a hip escape. This is going to make your opponent react, most often by placing lots of weight on his knees in order to remain heavy. This is exactly what you want.
Now that you’re on your side, you’re going to use your far side leg (your left on his right or the other way around) to hook his leg. The hook goes under the foot and has the task of elevating the hip. Since all the weight is on the knee this is very easy. Once you hook the foot, you push off with the other leg and square your hips again, landing the opponent in the half guard with next to no effort.
The Reverse Alcatraz
This is by far my personal favorite BJJ mount escape. The reason is simple – you need no movement and you can get a real reward at the end if you’re slick. Just like the Alcatraz, this one won’t work against a high mount but is perfect for all other variations. The reason behind it is that you need to do a leg hook, just like for your basic Upa escape. However, you don’t proceed with a bump. Instead, you aim to thread your other leg underneath the foot, just like with the Alcatraz. The goal this time is to actually connect your hook to the foot on your other leg.
The escape works due to the fact that your opponent is trapped by your feet. Once you connect both your feet, they become very powerful and can move even much heavier opponents. The escape works by lifting your feet in the air. This motion simply peels your opponent off, allowing you to get into any guard you want.
Why Stop At Escaping?
This is another one of Eddie Bravo’s main concepts. Every time he escapes, he is on the hunt for a counter, mostly in the form of a submission. Conversely, his BJJ mount escape system offers such options as well. to be completely honest, it is the Reverse Alcatraz that opens up direct submission routes. Once you lift the opponent in the air, you are in a prime position to start looking for Ashi Garami variations. The best thing about it is that you can go on either leg. The combination of unstoppable elevation and the trapped leg of the opponent means you can get there with ease.
Moreover, you might choose to go straight int a single leg X or a full X-guard and work from there. Or, you could go for sweeping and end up on top. The best part about it is that until you release the leg, your opponent can’t escape, nor return to the mount. the perfect BJJ mount escape system.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to attacks or transitions, you can look to be as elaborate and complicated as you want. However, BJJ is simple in essence and the simple stuff is always going to work. When it comes to escapes, there’s absolutely no other way to successfully get out. Instead of exploding and complicating things, use a BJJ escape that works by providing you with a mechanical advantage from an inferior position. That is BJJ trickery at it’s best, and it works!
People take up training grappling for a whole host of reasons. One that often gets people through the door is getting in shape. I have had countless people ask me if they can get in shape just by training BJJ. The answer is, that Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is the hardest thing you’ll ever do. It is not just a different way of challenging your body, but also a way to cover just about every aspect of fitness. from bodyweight training to managing external existence to lung burning conditioning, grappling has it all. that makes getting BJJ Fit your best bet for that summer body you’ve always wanted.
Between regular weight lifting and stuff like CrossFit, there’s no shortage of ways to get fit nowadays. Yet, there’s one common issue with them all – people get bored very fast. This is where BJJ comes in. Even if you’re not looking to become the next world champion, or win an MMA fight, BJJ can help you reach your goals. Any academy you walk into around the world has people that are just looking to get BJJ Fit. What does this mean exactly? Just take a look at the shape some most grapplers, female or male, are in, and you’ll know precisely what everyone is looking for. The truth is if you’re looking for the ultimate way to get that six-pack, BJJ is arguably your best bet.
The Hardest Thing You’ll Ever Do
So how exactly can BJJ make you jacked? After all, you do spend most of your time lying on the ground right? Well, yeah, but at the same time, you’re trying to do complex bodyweight movements while lifting weights and all fo that at quite the pace. Well, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu offers not just a full body workout that’s second to none but is also the best possible functional way to workout.
The thing that happens very often in BJJ gyms is that people that are in crazy shape walk in. Even before sparring time comes, you know what happens to each and every one of them? They gas out. Marathon runners, powerlifters, CrossFit coaches I’ve seen them all gasp for air during some basic warm-up drills. The reason for this is that being BJJ Fit is a much different thing than simply being in shape. During grappling you’re going to activate pretty much every possible muscle in your body. That means not just all the visible muscles people try to pump up in gyms, but also underlying muscle layers that actually make a huge difference.
Jiu-Jitsu training does have one downfall though. The more you train, the more efficient you get at movements. That means that you spend less energy during rolling, However, you don’t have to worry about this until you reach a high level, most often brown belt. Moreover, there’s a way to include fitness training in your BBJJ classes even if you’re a high-level black belt. In short, BJJ is the best way to stay fit for life by doing just one thing. And the best part is, it is extremely fun and does not get boring!
Training To Be BJJ Fit
So how do you get BJJ Fit? Well, first of all, you get to the nearest BJJ academy and you sign up. then, you go fro “hell week” or that crazy period when everything hurts and nothing makes sense. Whether you roll at the end of class or not is down to you, but class in itself is going to be more than enough. Let’s go through a typical class play-by-play.
First up, warm-ups. What you gain from BJJ warm-ups is first and foremost mobility and flexibility. This is integral to actually be able to train at a high level and get that shredded body. It also gets your heart rate up as it often includes running, jumping drills, etc, plus some basic bodyweight strength exercises. moreover, some schools like to use Ginastica Natural to warm up which is a fitness discipline of its own.
The first round of drills usually comes next. Here you go through BJ specific movements like sit outs, hip escapes, partner drills, tumbling, etc. This is pretty much gymnastics on steroids and it is going to put demands on your body like o other means of fitness.
Next, it is time for technical work. This is where you learn moves and techniques which actually helps you learn how to move your body through space. Coordination, proprioception, and cardio all play a huge part here. Plus, you have to turn your brain on.
Finally, it’s time for the second round of drills, this time specific to the techniques you just did. And that;’s not the end of it. SPecific sparring, where you get to try the moves against a resisting partner is what usually wraps a class up. And that’s before we even think about live rolling,
A Healthy Lifestyle
So, the question is, how can you stay BJJ fit if you do the same type of training every time? Ok, techniques do change as well as specific sparring. Well, drills are also so numerous and different that they never get boring or repetitive. Moreover, there are different types of classes you can join. Gracie Barra, for example, have a Barra Fit class that focuses solely on BJJ as a fitness tool. There are also specific drilling classes where you get to do intervals of different drills for an hour or more. or, you could sign up for competition preparation class, where intensity is always through the roof with lots of added conditioning work.
A huge benefit of training Jiu-jitsu is that becoming BJJ fit just becomes a lifestyle. Everyone in the academy is talking about weight cutting, healthy food, and training. Before you know it, you’re going to develop some awesome habits that’ll make your daily life much better. Not to mention make you look s close to a Greek god as possible. After all, everyone in Greece used to wrestle, right?
Finally, most BJJ academies have a couple of kettlebells, pull-up bars and climbing rope at the very least, and often much more training equipment than that. That means you can pretty much combine anything you want with BJJ training and turn into the best version of yourself in next to no time!
It may sound unbelievable buy getting BJJ Fit is about as fit as you’ll get without the help of certain chemicals. The most impressive thing is that you’ll get fit regardless of age. Healthy habits, lots of nutrition knowledge, a great community, the body you’ve always wanted and a method of training that never gets boring. What more could you want?
Jiu-Jitsu is a continually evolving martial art that is now required for anybody who wants to practice mixed martial arts or just wants to defend themselves. In this video, John Danaher – one of the most famous and respected Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Coaches takes 5x World Champion Bernardo Faria & ADCC Champ Gordon Ryan offer an explanation of body mechanics as they relate to Jiu Jitsu.
John explains that Jiu Jitsu is a system that requires 2-6 steps depending on the situation and how much resistance an opponent gives. While both athletes, Gordon Ryan & Bernardo Faria both practice Jiu-Jitsu, they both have different areas that they specialize in. Mr. Ryan is best known for his leg attacks, back attacks and his unique system of passing- all without the gi, while Mr. Faria is best known for his sweeps from half guard and his pressure passing on top – in the gi. To learn Jiu Jitsu you need not be fast, strong, flexible or explosive, you only need to understand the body, how it moves and have the ability to follow directions. Watch as 3 of the best teachers in the art and sport of Jiu Jitsu shed some light on the process. We hope this video and many of the others at bjjfanatics.com help you along your Jiu Jitsu journey.
To learn more great Jiu Jitsu Techniques, visit BJJ FANATICS.
BJJ Fanatics was started by a pair of black belts (Bernardo Faria & Michael Zenga) who feel that nothing is more important than improving your BJJ skills as much as possible in the least amount of time. Their aim was to create a shop for BJJ Students who don’t look at BJJ as a sport – but as a lifestyle.
If you’ve ever been caught in a really good pin, you know how helpless it makes you feel. There’s nothing worse than having to bear someone’s entire weight on you. When that person knows how to direct that weight and turn it into specific pressure, you end up completely immobile. Or, in other words, you get pinned. In wrestling, pinning is the ultimate way to win. If you can keep your opponent on the ground for a certain amount of time, the match is over. No wonder wrestlers spend so much time working on various wrestling pins.
Finally, there’s transitioning between pressure positions, like side control and the mount. If you can pin your opponent successfully every top position becomes available. Imagine you’re in a top half guard. Instead of wasting energy on passing, you go for a wrestling cradle pin. Immediately, your opponent is in a world of pain and you can do whatever you want – pass, move to mount/back or submit.
The thing that happens very often in BJJ gyms is that people that are in crazy shape walk in. Even before sparring time comes, you know what happens to each and every one of them? They gas out. Marathon runners, powerlifters, CrossFit coaches I’ve seen them all gasp for air during some basic warm-up drills. The reason for this is that being BJJ Fit is a much different thing than simply being in shape. During grappling you’re going to activate pretty much every possible muscle in your body. That means not just all the visible muscles people try to pump up in gyms, but also underlying muscle layers that actually make a huge difference.
A huge benefit of training Jiu-jitsu is that becoming BJJ fit just becomes a lifestyle. Everyone in the academy is talking about weight cutting, healthy food, and training. Before you know it, you’re going to develop some awesome habits that’ll make your daily life much better. Not to mention make you look s close to a Greek god as possible. After all, everyone in Greece used to wrestle, right?